Sasha Culbertson

Alexander "Sasha" Culbertson was born December 29, 1893, in Manhattan, the younger brother of card-playing entrepreneur Ely Culbertson, who was known as "the man who made contract bridge." After showing musical promise at the age of 9, Sasha was sent to study at the Imperial Conservatory at Rostov, becoming a fellow pupil of Efrem Zimbalist. In 1905-1908, he studied in Czechoslovakia under Jan Kubelík's teacher, Otakar Ševčík. He made his recital debut in Vienna at age 14, eventually making his American debut at Carnegie Hall in March 1920. In 1926, he canceled 31 U. S. engagements and broke a contract to make phonograph records to return to Europe. Once in Paris, he settled down with his bride of two years to study all over again. Culbertson played a 1732 Guarneri violin that was willed to him by his father. Culbertson died April 19, 1944, in Gotham Hospital in New York City after a brief illness.